Overview#

Beelzebub is a familiar form of a name that appears in several religious contexts. In 2 Kings 1, Baal-zebub is the god of Ekron whom the injured king Ahaziah proposes to consult. In Mark 3, Beelzebub appears in an accusation about the power through which Jesus expels demons.[1][2]

Related forms such as Beelzebul occur in translations and discussions of these traditions. An article should identify the spelling in its edition before attaching an etymology or claiming that every form has precisely the same history.

The Ekron narrative#

The account in 2 Kings concerns Ahaziah’s inquiry after an injury and the prophet Elijah’s response. Its argument turns on the king’s decision to seek knowledge from the god of Ekron. The chapter places the name within a conflict of religious allegiance; it does not provide the later infernal bureaucracy familiar from demonological handbooks.[1]

This setting is necessary for understanding what the passage can establish. It documents the named deity’s place in the narrative, without independently confirming the oracle’s supernatural effectiveness or supplying a continuous history of later devotion.

The Gospel accusation#

Mark 3 presents opponents accusing Jesus of acting through the ruler of demons. Jesus answers with an argument about a divided kingdom and the defeat of a strong man. Beelzebub therefore belongs to a controversy about authority and exorcism.[2]

The narrative function differs from the inquiry described in 2 Kings. Comparison can show how a name receives new uses, but it should not erase the distance between those literary settings. Later theological identification with Satan also needs to be distinguished from the exact wording of a particular passage.

Later catalogues and interpretation#

The Testament of Solomon uses Beelzeboul within another demonological narrative, organizing spirits through Solomon’s interrogations and the authority of the ring. Its account provides further evidence for the development of named demonic rulers.[3]

These sources do not produce one harmonized biography by themselves. A modern hierarchy is a synthesis made by its compiler. The compiler’s choices become especially visible where ranks, spellings, appearances, or relationships disagree.

Contemporary Satanic or occult writing may identify Beelzebub with Satan, treat the figure as independent, or prefer another spelling for theological reasons. Such positions should be attributed. An encyclopedia gains precision by presenting the source’s own terms before comparing them with other traditions.

Satano-Grigorist terminology#

The Grigorist Temple of Satanael (wiki article in preparation) prefers Ba’al-Zebul or Beelzebul and rejects Beelzebub as a name for its deity. Its account should be distinguished from the older sources above.[4]

See also#

References

  1. 2 Kings 1, King James Version · Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, in the narrative of Ahaziah. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
  2. Mark 3:20–30, King James Version · Beelzebub and the accusation concerning the ruler of demons. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
  3. The Testament of Solomon, F. C. Conybeare translation (1898) · Primary pseudepigraphal narrative, not an eyewitness account of the historical Solomon. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
  4. Grigorist Temple of Satanael: official account of Satano-Grigorism · Primary source for the Temple’s self-described beliefs. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
Beelzebubspirits

This encyclopedia covers traditions beyond the High Satanic Church. Church doctrine is identified as such when it appears.